The following is the text of Martin's Money Tip Email sent out on 1st June 2003

New table topping personal loan rates

Rates keep tumbling, now the cheapest rate is 6.7% and five lenders are offering it, a year ago the best rate was 7.9%.  These very top rates only apply for loans over £5,000, but 7% is possible for lower loans.  The five lenders are the Co-Op, Sainsbury, Bank of Scotland, AA and British Gas.  Remember though the 6.7% rates do not include insurance that can skew the cost.  For full details on how to ensure you get the cheapest loan, pros and cons and contacts read the Best Personal Loans article.

Chat Board Tips: Cheap prescriptions & 0845 numbers

There've been some cracking tips posted on the chat board recently – so good I thought I should tell you.

Prescriptions: If you regularly get prescriptions there's a special form you can sign up to which slashes your costs. More info on how to cut your costs.

0845 and 0870 numbers:  It's possible to cut the cost of dialling these by using the ‘dial from abroad' contact numbers often provided as alternatives from many companies. Read it here.

Free Cash

New members may not have seen my system for making free cash from credit cards.  I've recently updated it for the new cards that are on the market.  Read it here.

Cheapest Home Insurance? Your help required

www.insuresupermarket.co.uk is promising to find the cheapest home insurance for you using new technology.  If you're looking for home insurance please try it and report back by clicking here and posting on the chat board what you think.   Only use it for home insurance though as for many of its other insurance comparisons it isn't cheapest.   As a note in a previous tip I recommended trying www.confused.com for car insurance the same way, half thought it was great and half terrible – Read the feedback.

New articles on the site

The Credit Card Shuffle - how to decrease your interest rate if you can't get a new credit card.

Cut Mobile Insurance Costs – how to insure your mobile for less
The Top Savings accounts – how to boost your savings interest


Heads up - New phones tariffs

BT today launched its new range of phone tariffs.  All other companies are changing their prices to respond.  Over the next couple of weeks I will be doing the painful job of comparing 200+ phone providers to find the cheapest.  Watch this space.


0% for life

A quick reminder, the 0% for life Barclaycard balance transfer loophole is still possible, but is only guaranteed to be available for another two weeks.  If you've not read the article – it's well worth doing – it's probably the best way to save money that's been available for two years (and it'll hurt Barclaycard, never a bad thing) Read it here

Please recommend this site to others

The community of Money Savers continues to grow and get more powerful.  Please send an email to all your friends and family and suggest they check out the site and join the Money Tips e-mail.  The more of us the more every can save cash.  If this site has ever saved you money – that's all I ask in return.

Martin's Money Poser 5

Billy the Cad rides alone into Dodge City on Thursday, leaves on Friday and yet is rightly charged for three nights at the Inn.  He only used one room and didn't break anything.  Why? Click here to answer

If you want to ask a question

If you've any questions please post them in the relevant section of the Forum and I'll do my best to answer them.

That's it from me, thank you all for your continued support.  It really is quite wonderful.

Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert

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The site was founded and funded directly by Martin, as it's grown so much two revenue raising abilities have been added.  If you want to know more about them and support the site read this.